Roof structure and insulating element



Sept 24, 1940- c.- c. FIGGE 2,215,811

Roo1=I STRUCTURE AND INSULATINQ M .xazuummr I-"led June 14, 1957 W1 nass@amm Cw C. F99@ Y elle Patented Sept. 24, 1940 ROOF STRUCTURE ANDINVSULATING ELEMENT Carroll C. Fizge, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 14, 1937, Serial No. 148,154

4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a building structure and Vmoreparticularly to a structural insulating element which provides both deckand ceiling for a roof structure.

An important object of the invention is therefore in the provision of animproved insulating structural member for use as Va roof deck andceiling and as an insulation therefor.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of a structuralinsulating unit adapted to take the place of roof boards now commonlyused, and at thesame timeto provide a ceiling and roof surface and aninterposed insulationl between them.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of a structuralinsulating unit for combining a fibrous insulation and a metalstiffening or strengthening structure.

A still further object of the invention is in the provisionof a combinedinsulating and structural unit for roofs, walls, and the like. adaptedto be secured both to wood or steel beams by permanent or removablefastening devices.

Still further objects of the invention are to produce the specific typeof structural insulating member herein shown and described, and acomposite insulating roof and ceiling made thereoi'.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, theaccompanying drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of theinvention, and in which Fig. 1 is a perspective of a roof structureconstructed of insulating structural units in accordance with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one of the structural units; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken 'on the line II-ll of Fig. 2. i

In applying a roof to a building structure it is common practice toprovide metal or wood rafters, to cover the rafters more dr less closelywith a wooden deck, and to make this deck waterproof by' covering itwith metal or layers of roofing secured together and tothe roof andsurrounding wall by a bituminous water-proof coating. This type of roofand ceiling has very little insulation value either for retaining theheat or keeping out the cold, and in order to insulate the roofstructure it has been necessary to apply separate insulation eitherinside or outside at a considerable expense and unnecessary duplicationof the structure itself.

The present invention proposes the elimination of the wooden deckstructure and the sub- (Cl. 10B-6) stitution therefor of reinforcedstructural units, each .of which has a high insulating value andalthough the material contemplated is of a relatively thin or lowstructural 'strength it is reinforced and strengthened by a thin njietalcoating which increases the insulation and the structural strength overthat afforded by 'the old wooden roof decks, and combines a highinsulating value with aroof or metal surface which may be used eitherinside or outside of the roof for a ceiling finish of metal or offibrous material, depending upon the kind of a ceiling desired.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, an insulating elementlnaccordance with the invention comprises strips, Vboards or slabs I5 ofinsulating material such as cork, wood pulp, straw board, or any fibrousinsulating material such as bagasse (Cellotex), shredded Wood, or thelike, which of itself usually does not have sufficient structuralstrength to bear the weight of anyone walking upon the roof, but is of ahigh heat insulatingquality. To one of these boards is applied a metalsheet I6 which is wrapped around the opposite edges of the board, eithercovering it completely or if two boards are secured together to form aninsulating unit the opposite edges of the metal strip are folded so thatfastening nails I1 inserted through the boards for holding them togetherwill also be inserted through the edges of the metal sheet.

If desired the board having the metal coating may be placed below orreversed and placed uppermost and thus applied to the deck or roofstructure. The object of this is to provide a metal surface uppermostwith a sound deadening ceiling if desired, or to utilize the metalsurface for the ceiling and to face the insulating surface upward forthe attachment of the waterproofing structure ii' preferred.

In these insulating units the object of the metal reinforcing sheet isboth to provide a coating and also to give suflicient structuralstrength to the unit so that it can be used in place of the ordinarylumber applied to a roof. These units are attached at their ends andbetween their ends by the fastening nails I1 which hold the parts of theinsulating units together or by separate fastening devices 23 which areinserted through the insulation units directly into roof rafters orcross beams 24.

After the rafters or beams have been covered by the insulating units inregular or staggered relation and with either the metal or the sounddeadening surface upward, a waterproong cover is commonly applied to theupper or exposed surface consisting of a number of plies or thicknesses21 of composition roofing which are secured together and to the surfaceof the units by a bituminous cement which renders them impervious tomoisture and makes the roof waterproof. At the edge of the roof thiscovering is turned upwardly and secured to a wall 28'or any othersurrounding structure by a flashing 29 which aids in making the roofwaterproof.

While this structure is particularly applicable to flat or nearly flatroof decks it may also be applied to more inclined or angular roofs andmay also form the supporting structure for shingles'or tiles of variousforms which are usually nailed in place.

In any form or application of the insulating units they may be providedin any desired length and in various forms so that they may be quicklyapplied and secured to beams, rafters or other supports with either ametal or an insulating surface outermost, and when the fastening devicesare inserted through the insulating units they will secure theinsulating members and the metal coverings to the supports so that theywill have the necessary strength and rigidity for a roof or other deckand will provide not only a top covering but also a pleasing undersideor ceiling as well as an insulator for reducing heat and soundtransference therethrough.

I claim:

1. A structural insulating unit comprising a pair of boards ofinsulating material but of relatively low structural strengthco-extensive in length and of the same width but placed in overlappingrelation to each other at the edges, a thin reinforcing metal coatingextending between the boards and overlapping the edges of one of thembut leaving the face of the overlapped board substantially free and opento the atmosphere, and fastening means inserted through the boards andthrough lthe overlapping edges of the sheets for holding them togetherbut leaving the opposite faces of the boards both free and open to theatmosphere.

2. An insulating roof deck element comprising a pair of fibrousinsulating boards of similar width and length placed close together, athin metal reinforcing sheet extending between the boards and extendingover the edges of the opposite face of the lower board, leaving the mostof the under face thereof exposed, and fastening means inserted throughthe boards and through the overlapping edges of the sheet to hold theboard and sheet together with the boards in offset overlapping relationto each other, the opposite outer faces of the boards being bothsubstantially free and open to the atmosphere.

3. A roof covering structure comprising rafters spaced apart, and aplurality of structural units applied to the rafters, each unitcomprising a pair of fibrous insulating boards of relatively lowstructural strength of similar width and length applied to each other inedge overlapping relation, a metal reinforcing sheet interposed betweenthe boards of each pair and extending over the edges of the oppositeface of the lowermost board, and fastening means inserted through theboards and through the said overlapping edges of the metal for attachingthe boards of each unit tightly together and for securing the unit tothe roof supporting rafters, the outer faces of the boards of each unitbeing exposed between the rafters.

4. An insulated water-proof roof structure comprisingsupporting raftersspaced apart, a plurality of reinforced insulating units, eachcomprising two boards of insulating material of insufficient structuralstrength to form a roof support and a metal reinforcement extendingbetween the boards of each unit and overlapping the edges of theopposite face of the under board as applied to the rafters, the metalreinforcement supplying the necessary structural strength to support theunits between the rafters, the units fitting tightly together andoverlapping at the edges, means securing the boards of each unittogether through the metal sheet and to the spaced rafters at the endsthereof, thus providing an exposed fibrous ceiling, a brous roof decksurface, and an interposed reinforcement, and a water-proofed coveringapplied over the tops of the units in contact with the exposed fibroussurface thereof and supported thereby.

-. CARROLL C. FIGGE.

